What? Me? Exercise?
This is what almost every patient with
COPD says to me when I first talk to
them about joining a pulmonary rehabilitation
program. But we want our patients with COPD
to exercise, to move and to get their groove
back. Why? Here are some of the facts.

First and foremost no matter who we are,
with or without lung disease, we need to
exercise. It is recommended by American
College of Sports Medicine as well as the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
that an adult should get at least 150 minutes
of moderate walking each week (described as
brisk walking) as well as some muscle
strengthening activities too.

Even for the average person, trying to
squeeze in time to exercise can be hard to do.
My patients look at me and say, But I have
lung disease, or I wear oxygen, too, and I say
to them, Have no fear, pulmonary
rehabilitation is here!

Pulmonary rehabilitation helps you gain
confidence in your ability to exercise and to
exercise safely. Most programs accept patients
with moderate, severe and very severe COPD.

The Different Stages of COPD-and Exercise

Individuals with mild COPD do not need
oxygen and scheduled bronchodilators, and at
this level of the disease, can begin a walking
program of their own. They can start by going
to a local gym or YMCA and actively work on
preventative measures.

Beginning your own program can be hard,
so it helps to find a workout buddy. Engage
someone else to walk with you or do some
simple muscle strengthening exercises. If the
weather is lousy, or you have a limited budget
and you cannot afford the gym, see if your local
mall has a mall-walking program.

If you have moderate, severe or very severe
COPD, pulmonary rehabilitation is the place
for you. At this level of the disease, individuals
need a little more care. At this stage, some
people might be using more inhaled
medications, or they may be on oxygen at night
or 24/7. It may be intimidating to begin a
workout regimen, especially if you have a
shortness of breath, which can lead to certain
frustrations at your limitations.

You need to remember that one of the goals
of pulmonary rehabilitation is for you take what
you learned out of the classroom and do the
workouts at home. The goal of the exercise is to
allow you to do more activities at home,
including social events, family events and
even household chores.

Exercises in Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

Rehabilitation Program
One of the goals of pulmonary rehabilitation is to get patients up, walking and moving around
again. It can be done on a treadmill, a walking
path or a track. Most patients start off slowly and
increase their time and perhaps their speed.
Walking helps leg muscles become stronger.

Another good exercise for your legs is riding a
stationary bicycle or other similar machines.
Stationary bicycles come in many shapes and
sizes. Some use just the legs, some are recumbent
bicycles, and some are airdyne bicycles. A
recumbent bicycle allows you to bicycle while
sitting in a chair than an actual bicycle seat. An
airdyne bicycle allows you to peddle your legs Pulmonary patients must also do some upper
body and arm exercises. These can be done in
multiple ways. Some programs have what is
called the upper body ergometer (arm cranking).
Patients may refer to this as a bicycle for the arms.
The airdyne bicycle combines both arms and legs,
so you are doing two exercises at once.

As your disease progresses, you may find it
hard to use your arms and legs at the same time
during exercise. The important thing about
exercising is to pace your breathing and work
your muscles. It is perfectly fine to separate your
exercises. For example, you may ride a stationary
bike for a period of time to exercise your legs and
then exercise your arms with the arm ergometer.
Lastly, most programs use some form of weights
and/or resistance training to help strengthen both
upper and lower body muscles. It is important to
do these exercises. Many of them can be paced to your breathing ability, and also can be done in a chair or standing up.

Examples include simple biceps curls, leg
lifts with ankle weights, and front or side
arm raises. Using simple hand weights (or
even soup cans) or exercise bands can help
build your muscles.